Starting apparatus for internal-combustion engines.



A. KAZENMAIER & E. BAUER.

STARTING APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 4. I916.

1,275,941. Patented Aug. 13, 1918.

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AUGUST KAZENMAIER AND EIIGEN BAUER, OF S'IU'ITGART, GERMAIiTY, ASSIGNORS To THE FIRM ROBERT BOSCH, OF STUTTGABT, GERMANY.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented-Aug. 13, 1918.

Original application flied March 6, 1914, Serial No. 822,877. Divided and this application filed February 4,

19 16. 8cria1No.76,205.

To all whom it may concern; 1

Be it known that we, AUGUST KAZENMAIER and EUGEN BAUER, both subjects of the Emperor of Germany, and residents of Stutt gart, Germany, have invented certain new I and useful Improvements in Starting Apparatus for Internal-Combustion Engines; andwe do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This application is a division of our copending application, Serial No. 822,877, filed March 6, 1914 for starting apparatus for internal combustion qigines. The main application relates to the combination with means for preliminarily rotating a rotatable element, of means for preventing the engagement between the rotating element and the engine until the kinetic energy stored up is normally sufiicient to bring the engine from rest to a speed at which the normal cycle of operationis reliably established, and it covers specifically in such a combination an electric system wherein, .upon closing the switch between the source of current supply and the motor, the rotatable element is first brought to a sufficiently high speed, whereupon the motor current is interrupted or reduced to a low value, and connected with the engine, and wherein the rotatable element is subsequently disconnected from the engine automatically. The, present div'i sional application is intended to cover a starting system of this kind, wherein a manually-operated starting lever is provided to initiate the operation of the starting system, the rotating element being connected with the engine either automatically or by a further movement of the starting lever. In both cases, the rotating element is prevented from becoming connected with the engine until the current supply to the motor has been interrupted or reduced to a small value. In the first case, the starting lever is immediately released, the connection between the rotating element and the en gine, as well astthe disconnection, being efthe lever; and

Fig. 2 shows an arrangement similar to that of Flg. 1, excepting that the subsequent operations occur automatically.

In both modifications, the source of electrio current comprising the battery a is connected to the exciting winding 6 of the automatlc switch or circuit breaker 0, from which the current passes through the contacts m, n, to the series electric motor d'. The spring k normally holds the armature Z depressed, and thereby holds the movable contact m away from the stationary contact n.

The clutch member 0 is fastened on the motor shaft a; in position to be engaged in driving connection by the cooperative clutch member 5, which is mounted for longitudinal shifting movement. The clutch member 5 is fast with a pinion that drives the gears 6 on a counter shaft which, in turn,

is adapted to drive the crank shaft 10 of the current decreases to a value at which the circuit is interrupted or reduced to a low value if desired, whereupon the lever may then be moved to close the clutch between the rotating element and the internal combustion engine to start the engine into operation. The starting lever 13 carries a rail 14 and can be moved between the positions 0 and I shown in broken lines. The rail 14 is connected by the links 16 and 17 to the rod 18 which carries an arm 19 for shifting the clutch member 5 into and out of engagement with the cooperative clutch member o. The clutch member '0 is fastened on the shaft of the starting motor d while the clutch member 5 i shittab a g its shaft by reason of a feather and groove connection'therewith. The rail 14 carries a spring lever 20 having a knob 21 on its end, and the rail also carries a lug 22. A guide 23 separate from the rail 14, is provided with inclined outer surfaces. A bent lever 24 is pivoted to the p ece 25 and is pressed by the spring 26; against an abutment on the piece 25. The lever 24 has a projection lying Within the ath of movement of the armature Z, and a so has 1ts end in the line of movement of the stop 22 when the lever 24 is held in raised position by the spring 26. v r

The operation of the arrangement shown in Fig. 1 is as follows: In order to start the engine from rest, the startin lever 13 is moved from its 0 position to shift the rail 14 toward the right. During this movement the knob 21 slides along the surface 27 of guide 23 and through the intermediacy. of the PI'OjQCtlOIl'lQ raises the armature Z until the contact m is brought into engagement with the contact n, whereupon the starting current flows from the battery a through the winding 6 of the electromagnet c and thence through the series motor d back to the battery. At the same time the lever 24 is raised by its spring 26 sO that its end projection prevents further longitudinal movement of the projection 22 beyond it.

ment pushes the end of the lever 24 against the stress of spring 26 out of the path of the lug 22. Up to this time, the starting lever 13 was prevented from further movement so that the clutch o, 5 was compelled to be open, but after this time the starting lever 13 may be moved to its position I to close the clutch a, 5 and thereby apply the energy stored in the rotating parts.

During this latter portion of the movement of rail 14, the knob 21 is raised by the inclined surface 28 to such a point that it thereafter snaps under the guide 23, so that when the rail 14 is being moved back to its 0 position the knob 21 does not lift the armature 1. When the rail 14 has reached its 0 position, the knob 21' snaps into its normal position so as "to slide along the surface 27 of the guide 23 when the rail is again moved to the right. The armature Z holds the lever 24 depressed until the armature is again raised by the knob 21. I'Vhen the engine is running under its own power, the starting lever 13 is moved back to its position 0 to The motor d speeds up until a speed, say about I six hundred revolutlons per minute, at

thereby disconnect the motor from the engine..

in-the embodiment shown-in Fig. 2, theclutch between the rotatable element and the engine is closed automatically after the starting cur; ant to the motor is interrupted without any subsequent movement/of the starting lever, and furthermore the clutch is opened automatically to disconnect the starting apparatus from the engine and the-lever is automatically returned to its starting po- 'rod' 29 slidable longitudinally of the rail the clutch members 1; and 5 from driving en-' gagement. I

The operation of the arrangement shown in Fig. 2 is as follows: To start the engine from rest, the starting lever is moved from 1ts 0 position to the position indicated by I, the rail 14 being thereby moved to the right against'the stress of spring 32. During this movement of the rail 14, the armature l is raised until the contacts m, n engage each other and thereby close the circuit from the battery through the winding 6 and the starting motor d. The rod 29 is moved to the right by the compression'spring 30 until the abutment 22 carried by the rod 29 is prevented from further movement by the end of the sprlng pressed pivoted lever 24. As soon as the starting current has fallen sufficiently, the spring is overcomes the attraction on the armature Z and thereby depresses the armature and pushes the end of the lever 24 out of the path of further movement of the stop 22 whereupon the compression spring 30 forces the end 31 of {)he rgd against the shaft of the clutch mem er against the stress of the compression spring 33, and the energy of rotation stored in the rotating element is applied through the gears 6 and the overrunning clutch 11 to The clutch is closed in this way.

the crank shaft to to start the engine from bers 'v and 5 are disconnected by the stressed spring 33, while the rail 14, with the rod 29 and also the starting lever 13, are brought bustion engines from rest, a source of electo their 0 position by the stressed spring 32. The remaining features of operation of this modification will be apparent from the foregoing description of the arrangement shown in Fig. 1.

What we claim is: 1. In apparatus for starting internal comtric current, a rotatable element designed to be connected with and disconnected from the engine, an electric starting motor for driving the rotatable element, an electromagnetic switch having contacts in the circuit of the motor and having an energizing winding calibrated to open said contacts when the current to the motor reaches a predetermined low value corresponding to a motor speed appropriate for starting the engine, mechanism, including a manuallyoperated lever, for connecting the rotatable element to the engine, and means preventing said mechanism from connecting the rotatable elementto the engine until said contacts are opened.

2. In apparatus for starting internal combustion engines from rest, a source of electric current, a rotatable element designed to be connected with and disconnected from the engine, an electric starting motor for driving the rotatable element, an electromagnetic switch having contacts in the circuit of the motor and having an energizing winding calibrated to open said contacts when the current to the motor reaches a predetermined low value corresponding to a motor speed. appropriate for starting the engine, mechanism, including a manuallyoperated lever for connecting the rotatable element to the engine, means preventing said mechanism from connecting the rotatable element to the engine until said contacts are opened, and automatic means fordisconnecting the rotatable element from the engine after the engine starts intooperation'imder its own power.

3. In apparatus for starting internal combustion engines from rest, a source of electric current, a rotatable element, an electric starting motor for driving the rotatable element, a clutch for mechanically connecting the rotatable element with the engine, an automatic circuit breaker having contacts in the circuit of the motor and having an energizing winding calibrated to open said contacts when the current to the motor reaches a predetermined low value corresponding to a motor speed appropriate for starting the engine, a starting lever having means to close said contacts, a member slidably mounted on the starting lever so as to be movable relatively thereto and being adapted to close the clutch, and locking mechanism arranged, when the circuit breaker is closed, to hold the slidable member in such position that the clutch is open, and arranged, when the circuit breaker is open, to permit the movement of the slidable member to close the clutch.

4. In apparatus for starting internal com bustion engines from rest, a source of electric current, a rotatable element designed to be connected with and disconnected 'from the engine, an electric starting motor for driving the rotatable element, an electromagnetic switch having contacts in the circuit of the motor and having an energizing winding calibrated to open said contacts when the current to the motor reaches a predetermined low value corresponding to a motor speed appropriate for starting the engine, a reciprocatory starting lever having -means, when moved in one direction, to close said contacts, and a guide preventing said means from closing said contacts when the a starting lever. is moved in the opposite direction.

v In testimony whereof, we aflix our signa-.

tures.

AUGUST KAZENMAIER. EUGEN BAUER. 

